LONG BEACH, Calif., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson America, Inc. today announced the Epson WorkForce(R) 310 ink jet all-in-one that delivers print speeds up to two times faster than competitive models(1), documents with laser-quality text, and vibrant color output.

"The WorkForce 310 is the newest addition to our extensive line of all-in-ones and is designed to give small business owners the edge they need to succeed," said Robynne Lee, product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America, Inc. "We understand and respect that small business owners generally have to rely on themselves to complete their most critical business tasks. The WorkForce 310 was engineered with that fact in mind, resulting in an outstanding printer-scanner-copier that's also extremely fast and reliable."

The WorkForce 310 has a space-saving, yet attractive design and comes equipped with a built-in Ethernet port for sharing with multiple computers (if needed). Users can also connect to a wireless router via the Ethernet port and print wirelessly(2). Additionally, the WorkForce 310 offers smudge, fade and water-resistant output with its DURABrite(R) Ultra all-pigment inks.

Other key benefits include:

-- High-capacity inks - about 50 percent more prints per cartridge(3)
-- Uses up to 70 percent less energy than a laser printer(4)
-- Saves up to 50 percent of paper supply with manual, two-sided
printing(5)
-- ENERGY STAR(R) qualified

In 2009, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards - introduced an official standard used to measure print speeds on ink jet printers. Epson formally adopted the ISO/IEC 24734 measurement, which is designed to give consumers an "apples-to-apples" speed comparison across all printer manufacturers. The ISO specification provides the actual print files that include a mix of Word, Excel and PDF, representing what consumers typically print. ISO guidelines require that the tests are conducted using printers' "out of the box" driver settings since they are generally the most commonly used by consumers.

The WorkForce 310 offers a competitive black ISO speed of 16 PPM and color ISO speed of 5.5 PPM. More information about ISO is available at
www.iso.org, and details regarding Epson print speed measurements, including complete ISO reports are available at
www.epson.com/printspeed.

The Epson WorkForce 310 ($129.99 estimated street price) is currently available for "pre-order" for a limited time through
Amazon.com,
BestBuy.com and
Fry's Electronics. The WorkForce 310 will be available in June through major computer, office and electronic superstores, a variety of retail stores nationwide, mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet, and Epson's retail site,
www.epsonstore.com.

Epson America, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC) and is a leading provider of digital imaging products that exceed the vision of its customers. The company's extensive range of printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs are renowned for their superior quality, functionality, compactness, and energy efficiency. The Seiko-Epson organization is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and was recently added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, an indicator for leading companies in economic, environmental and social criteria.

(1) Printing black text in default mode compared to ink jet all-in-ones priced at $179 or less as of January 2009.

(4) Compared to the best selling monochrome and color multifunction laser printers available for $499 or less as of January 1, 2009. Actual power savings will vary by product model and usage.

(5) Some applications and/or functions, like two-sided printing, may not be supported by Mac(R)

Epson is a registered trademark and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. WorkForce and DURABrite are registered trademarks of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.